


The Shrine of Truth

by Mahiru_Of_Trust



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Familiars, Hugh is a small bean but full of wrath and his ego, Jeje couldn't care less, Licht still thinks that Mahiru is an angel, M/M, Mahi refuses to leave the shrine, Mahiru is SHOOK, Mahiru needs protection, Major shit goes down, Sakuya KISSES Mahiru, Sakuya is Mahiru's familiar, The Mother is ok with the sunshine son, The servamps are out to visit the shrine at one point, The spirits like Sunshine Son, Tsubaki is a bitch and tries to steal him, and he's right, to make him his familiar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 01:11:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14344839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mahiru_Of_Trust/pseuds/Mahiru_Of_Trust
Summary: Shirota Mahiru is a boy who grew up in his family's Shrine deep within a beautiful part of the forest of Spirits. His only friends were the only kids who ever really went up there to see him, Ryuusi, Kyoki, and a white and green tipped nine-tailed fox he named "Sakuya". But when he comes back from a magical encounter in the forest, he sees a boy around his age, dressed in a white and green kimono and has unnaturally curly green hair, he doesn't know what to do. But he could have sworn he was sitting on the same exact spot on his bed that Sakuya was sleeping when he left...





	1. The Boy, The Fox, And The Shrine

My _name is Shirota Mahiru._

_I never knew what it was like to live in the city. You know, one with all the busy people walking everywhere, the cars zooming past you, and the endless array of noises that never stops, all the things that are strange to me._

_I've lived in the Forest of Spirits my entire life. I have never stayed more than two hours away from home. It's quite here. Peaceful. A welcoming silence that city people can't stand somehow._

_I live in my families decently sized shrine, deep within the forest. So deep within that, they made a path so people could go to the sacred place to pray, and then safely leave without the risk of getting lost among the old whispering trees._

_The only two that come up here to talk to me are my childhood friends; Kyoki and Ryuusi. They make it their business to come up to the shrine at least four times a week together. They are the only ones who aren't afraid to travel down a path most other kids are told not to go down unless with an adult to pray. They even have more traditional clothes in their backpacks so they can visit me after school. And School is another thing I'm not used to. I see them with matching outfits on the wooden porch leading towards the entrance. I wouldn't have really known that those were school uniforms if I didn't ask one day._

_But even when they left, I always had a friend. Ever since I could remember, there was a fox._

_A white, nine-tailed fox that had green on the tips of its ears and tails as well as on its paws. I would never go anywhere without him. In fact, I still don't. I gave him a name after learning how the thing behaved and acted with me and others. And I found that the tiny creature actually followed me whenever I even merely get up to get a glass of water. He doesn't really let anybody else touch him. He's only completely docile towards me._

_I named him; "Sakuya"._

_Sakuya was in my life long before I meet the others. My mom used to tell me that the first time she took me outside as a baby, a small, white baby fox sat outside the sliding doors, looking up at the light orange blanket she carried me in with wonder in its eyes. She patted his head and walked to sit on the bench under the massive cherry blossom tree that she loved oh-so-dearly. Not a second sooner, the same fox cub scurried to her feet, jumping up right beside her._

_He gently placed his cute little front paws on her lap and locked its eyes with mine. I reached out my hand to touch the thing whose name I could pronounce at the time. He didn't flinch and let me pet its fluffy head._

_My mom said that Sakuya was my familiar. I knew what they were, but I never thought about that. Sakuya is so much more special than normal fox's, but I always did know that he was my best friend._

* * *

Mahiru walked across the dark wood bridge that leads to the shrines gardens, a white fox trailing a few steps behind him. The sound of the brunettes wooden sandals was drowned out by the sound of the flowing river underneath. The only other sounds were of the light pink blossoms swaying in the barely noticeable wind. The quietness was calming to Mahiru. He's been in town to get spices and ingredients for recipes once or twice, and the noise was a bit overwhelming for the most part. He sat on a marble bench near the pond the shrine had for their Koy fish. He gently patted the fabric of his white kimono as a silent ask, to which Sakuya caught on and jumped up to lay on his lap. Mahiru smiled softly while he lovingly pets the small creatures head. He noticed as one of the koy swam around, Sakuya eyed it as if he was going to jump in the water and pounce. The boy giggled when the fox jumped back because that very fish splashed him a bit with water. "You know, that's fair. I don't think the fish like being stared at like that." He stated, combing through the small clumps of wet fur. The white fox lightly smacked all of his tails into Mahiru's cheek, accidentally getting a bit of fur in his mouth. "Hey! Hahaha!" The brown-eyed boy laughed. Sakuya stood up and placed his paws on his master's chest and started dragging its dry tongue across the boy's sensitive neck. 

Bright laughs erupted from the teen's throat as the animal tickled his neck. He grabbed the fox and stood up, holding it in his arms. "Come on, let's go back inside. I think I see villagers coming up here. It is about time testing starts up." The sound of wooden clanking revealed itself once again as the gleeful boy strutted along the bridge and back up the steps to the hallway. He had a feeling there was quite the group to welcome in. He slowed to a stop right in front of the door when he heard the drained out voice of a woman and was honestly confused. The walls there are surprisingly good at muffling sounds on the other side, so he didn't know what to think upon hearing what sounds like a fully grown lady almost clearly through the walls. Sakuya hopped down to the teen's feet.

Do they not know shrines to be quiet places? Did they not care? What if there was a reason she was so loud? And Mahiru knew there was one answer to all of his pondering thoughts.

He slid the double doors open with caution, quickly realizing why the lady was speaking it such a big tone of voice.

He was greeted by the sight of many boys and girls around his age and a bit older, all wearing school uniforms that were familiar to him, along with the two faces he knew to match said outfits with. They were all students. And the woman was their teacher. 

Everyone directed their attention to the boy who ought to be in school just like themselves. The teacher looked at him and lifted her brow it a questioning glance. "Hello, wait. Are you one of my students? Because this isn't funny." She asked sternly. Mahiru flinched at her volume. "Um...Sensi-" Kyoki was about to say something but she stopped him. "Well?" She crossed her arms as she waited for an answer. "No, ma'am. I am not a student of yours. It seems you have mistaken me for another by chance?" Mahiru replied, and opened the doors all the way til' he heard a soft  _clunk._

Her expression softened and unknowingly opened her mouth in awe at the kindness and formality of the boy's speech and appearance. A few whispers traveled along the pupils as he advanced two paces closer to them. "Oh! My apologies! You looked like one of my kids for a second there! I really wasn't expecting anyone to open the door." She ranted and bowed. The brunette bowed as well, being that he wasn't aware of any events tieing his home to a school. "No worries. It's fine to have thought of me as one of yours, my age is very similar after all." He explained with a smile. He didn't know why a school would gather its students here, but he figured it was for a purpose. The Whispers grew a tad bit louder until the instructor muted them, making the poor boy flinch once again. 

"Pardon me for asking, but what are you doing here? This shrine has been unpopulated for years, and someone was supposed to show up to show us around. Do you know him? His name is Shirota Toru." She asked out of curiosity, not seeing the older man anywhere in sight. The teen was shocked at the bold statement, he even saw Ryuusi and Kyoki grimace. 

"Yes, I know him. But he is away on an important trip as of now, and it seems he had failed to inform me about a visit from a school. But I would be happy to fill in for my uncle's absence." Mahiru went on. "And I'm sorry but are you a history teacher?" She nodded. "I hate to correct a higher up in her field of expertise, but I  **live here**. It saddens me to here false information like that." He added, furrowing his brows at the older. Her eyes widened in embarrassment and the crowd giggled and snarked. "But its ok, I doubt the district would ever come up here to see if that was true or not." He awkwardly scratched the back of his head and looked away from her.

Ryuusi covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud. And other students snorted and giggled a bit.

Suddenly, a white mass circled around the brown-eyed boy's feet and cooed.

 "I-Is that a-a fox?!" She squealed, along with a vast majority other students. Sakuya grappled his way up the soft fabric of the young shrine keeper's kimono and steadied himself on his shoulder. Everyone marveled at the rare animal and studied its features. It's not often one gets to see a white nine-tailed fox after all. "Yes, harmless if I might add, well, unless someone were to attack me. And I'm sorry, but can I ask you to keep you're voice down. I have a very keen hearing and the walls here are made to block out outside noises and I am afraid I could hear you quite well through them." Mahiru admitted alas. He realizes that this woman has to keep up with large clusters of energetic and young teenagers over the course of a day, but it is amazing how they all haven't gone deaf yet...But none the less, she shrugged and nodded, "Teachers force of habit." she stated and heeded the younger's advice and toned her voice down. He nodded and swiftly turned to the class. "Sorry to keep everyone waiting. I will be showing all of you around the Shrine in place of my uncle today." he bowed, "My name is Shirota Mahiru. And feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a field trip to learn the history and tails of The Forest of Spirits, am I correct?" Mahiru asked, assuming he was by the gasps and surely impressed whistles that came from them all. "Well, on that note, if your instructor grants me permission, I could tell you stories about this place and answer any questions of the sort you might after the "tour". And I know from experience that all of you are tired." He glances sideways towards the educator in question for her consent on his request, and with his luck, she nodded. "Great! Now if everyone would follow me, we shall begin!"

Mahiru found that showing the class around was very nice for a change. Everyone ended up liking him and actually seemed interested in his home's history and how it was tied to the forest that surrounds it. They all listened to him and the teacher made a secret mental note to tell the school board they had things that needed changing. He told them of the trees, the flowers and about shrine itself. When the tour was over, he leads them to the soft, sweet-smelling grass of the vast garden he tends to so very carefully.

He sat on the ground with his legs swept to the side. "Everyone, please. Sit down." The boy instructed. As told, they sat. All of the students sat in around the male, leaving about four feet of space between them. Ryuusi and Kyoki sat in the front of the circle, the nearest to their childhood friend. 

Mahiru breathed in the fresh, peppermint air around him, he was at peace. He looked at them all, unintentionally silencing all words they might have wanted to say and wiping all thoughts from their young minds. It was quite. Only the sound of the cherry trees swaying in the cool breeze and the water freely flowing was heard. Mahiru's mind was in a calm state like the others but was far from empty. Storys of the forest and its magic flooded his thoughts. Storys that connect themselves to every nook and cranny of this mystical and beautiful place. "I've always been told the stories of this forest by word of mouth that had been created outside its trees. I know many of you have heard these rumors and legends yourselves. I promise you, most of them are tales created by those who feared The Forest of Spirits long ago..." He said with a voice so soft and sure that it sounded as sweet as sugar to one's ears. Sakuya walked silently to the gentle speaker and laid next to him. A soft and fragile hand came down to pet the pure white fur of the peaceful animal. "Fear comes from the mind, never from the heart. The ongoing fear of this place comes from the non-understanding of the people who dare not to enter and from the foolish, who lose themselves within their fear as the forest makes them lose sight of the true beauty it contains as they get lost in the trees at night. But to find the forests true beauty and to see its magic, you must not a coward nor a fool." He continued. He closed his eyes for a bit then opened them. "You must have the wonder and the positive energy of a child, and you must open your eyes to look at everything for what it was meant to be, not how others claim it." He motioned the class to close their eyes and reopen them. "Only then you will see the magical strength and power that courses through every single living beings. From us to each blossom on my cherry tree looming above us." Mahiru lifted his arms as an upward gesture when a slightly strong gust of wind blew, making the branches of the cherry tree overhead sway and release its blossoms. Everyone marveled and watched in wonder as a cherry blossom landed gracefully in the soft a silky hair of the brunette. 

After a while more, it was time for the class to depart. Mahiru waved them goodbye as he watched them fade into the golden sunset. He sighed happily. He hasn't spent this much time with this amount people in a long time. He enjoyed it. But alas, it was the day's end, and tired feet steadily strode back to their room with a sleeping fox in his hands.

He slid open his door and set Sakuya down on one of his pillows and he changed into his knee-long night gown. He carefully crawled under his blankets beside the resting fox. "Goodnight, Sakuya..." Mahiru whispered softly as he closed his eyes. 

But before he was taken into the realm of the dreamers, he was sure he heard someone answer him...

"Goodnight, Mahiru. Sleep well..."


	2. The Unknown Truth

 

 

After a peaceful night, the mornings golden light broke through the dense treetops as the dawn of a new day made itself present. The forest that seemed so dark and uninviting before now blossoming with life while the reach of the sun’s light crept through the windows of the shrine, tip-toeing its way into the open floor of the young brunette’s room. Since having the bed next to the tall window was the preferred arrangement to the young boy, the long streak of light gradually climbed on top of the futon, awakening the fluffy and slightly drowsy fox that was tenderly curled against a still sleeping Mahiru.

Sakuya’s face twitched at the sudden unnecessary warmth. Shifting to his other side, he let his sensitive eyes steadily adjust to the early morning light for a few minutes before slowly lifting his small white head to glance at his dear peacefully resting human. He lifted himself off of the comfortable spot snuggled against Mahiru’s waist and carefully trotted over the white blanket and stopping when he was face to face with Mahiru. The fox examined his soft expression with awe in his little eyes. The brunette was always peaceful while he slept, no matter what happened the day before, he always rested with a slight smile on his beautiful pale skin. Sakuya cautiously pressed against his cheek with his paw, only getting a small flutter of the boy's eyes. The mass of fur then nuzzled into the boy’s neck and could feel the rhythm of his heart while he shifted slightly. Sakuya huffed at Mahiru, climbing up on top of his covered chest and repeatedly licked his rosy cheeks, which proved fruitful when the young boy slowly opened his gorgeous golden-hazel eyes. "Nnnn..." He groaned softly, gently rubbing the drowsiness from his half-lidded eyes. Sakuya nuzzled against his human’s neck once more, causing said boy to giggle as the fluffy fur tickled him. "You seem to be in a good mood today, huh, Sakuya. Did you sleep well?" He spoke softly, scratching behind the ear of the cute animal. The fox shut his eyes and leaned into his touch. Mahiru smiled fondly, "I take that as a yes." he said, shifting his body so that his pale legs hung over the side of his bed and lifting the white blanket from his body. The floor was warm underneath his feet, probably due to the large patches of early morning sunlight seeping through the fairly tall window, painting the room's lightly-colored walls into an orange that made everything in its path seem to have a soft glow. The sun's position in the sky was low enough that the warmth that came with that light was able to hit Mahiru. He basked in it for a bit, letting his mind wander to what was around him beyond the wall, even if he couldn't really "see" it at the moment. He thought of everything and everyone he loved. The cherry tree that towered over all and gracefully lets down its flowers like soft snow in the fresh wind. All of the conversations and time spent with Ryuusei and Koyuki, hand in hand with the fact that they came up here for him and only him. The shrine itself and Sakuya of course. The fur covered being was the closest friend Mahiru ever had, and he never went anywhere without him. The brunette's pondering went on for about a minute more before the very creature he was thinking about pawed at his nightgown. Mahiru looked down and gave him a light smile before completely lifting himself from the bed. The cherry blossomed patterned kimono he carefully picked out the day before was folded neatly on his dresser, unraveling in the grasp of the boy as he lifted the thin fabric of his nightgown. His skin was very pale and only the slightest bit tanned. He outstretched his arms, the item falling into place around him and stopping at his ankles. The kimono still managed to show a bit of Mahiru's skinny yet slightly curvy figure. He took the thick black ribbon on the drawer and wrapped it around his waist and tying it into a tight bow at the back. He slipped on his geta's and crouched down for Sakuya to jump into his arms before the teen slid open the door of his room and started making his way to the kitchen. It was about time for breakfast right? 

 

The sweet aroma of Mahiru's cooking flooded the room, taking over the fox's senses as he rubbed, pawed, and nuzzled his human's legs, whimpering and letting out little barks at him. His white ears flattened against his head each time the shrine boy shook him off his leg and continued to cook.

When it came to cooking and preparing meals, Mahiru was a god. He was helping out and cooking ever since he was a small child, and because of all of that time to practice, he became extremely talented. Sakuya whined as his stomach rumbled. After a few more minutes of whining and pawing at his leg, the best he got was a tiny sliver of the meat he was using and a kiss on his head, he ate it, of course, but the way Mahiru prepares the meat made him want it even more. "You really are persistent today, huh? Don’t worry, I’m almost done." Mahiru said as he started plating the food for both him and the needy fox. A few minutes later, the brunette brought two plates over by the now curled up fox who, upon smelling the food more intensely, shot his head up in excitement and quickly jolted up and wagged his tail around as Mahiru set one plate down for him while he set the other more towards himself. Sakuya bounced his way over to his dish and didn't waste any time and started eating his way through the carefully cooked meal.   
  
Any boy, he was glad he waited.    
  
He swears that Mahiru's cooking was the best thing that anyone could ever have. The way the flavor bursts against his tongue, how each ingredient works perfectly together, it was all perfect. The teen giggled at the happy bark Sakuya gave him. Sakuya was so cute~.   
  
After they finished up and the dishes were clean and the chores were done, the boy set out to start greeting the people who come up here. He and his Uncle never really bothered to hire people to help around the shrine. They always kept it simple and made sure everything was alright themselves, it was better like that. People in town have since grown used to only seeing him and his Uncle up there when he was around. Another reason was that this shrine was made completely by the ancestors of the Shirota family, stone by stone, inch by inch, they dedicated themselves to building everything by hand and running and taking care of it after it was finished had always been a family tradition for those in the family who didn’t stray from it. So having strangers take care of it now would basically shatter the way they have done things for years. Mahiru took a deep breath before opening the shrine’s sliding doors and starting the day’s work he loved so dearly.

  
  


Sakuya trudged behind Mahiru as he guided a mother and her daughter across the tunnel of red arches to reach a certain part of the shrine used to honor the deceased. Once they got there, he waved goodbye to the pair and traveled back down the path. He looked beyond the greenery that surrounded the smooth stone walkway and noticed it getting a bit dark out. The brunette had hoped that he would still be able to do that last chore he needed to while the sun was still high in the sky, but it can’t be helped. He sighed and carefully scooped the nine-tailed fur-ball into his arms while sprinting to his room to get his stuff to do the one thing that he does about every once or twice a month;

  
Go out to town to do some shopping.

 

Now Mahiru doesn’t go spend a lot of time in town, with the exception of festivals and other events that he may be requested for. But, due to the fact that his Uncle isn’t here and him not being able to harm any animal that has never knowingly done anything to anybody, he has to come down to make a visit to the outdoor market. The brunette had always remembered the strange looks and glances he got when he first started going out to buy food. Or when he started showing himself without his Uncle by his side at all. It was not like he blamed them though, no one usually expects to see a 12-year-old in traditional clothing going out all alone to buy food. But as he got older and showed himself a bit more often, people got used to it, sometimes even getting complimented about his looks and politeness. But of course some people did wonder why he only bought meat and some other small necessities when he presented himself, and they were the ones who were the most shocked upon hearing that he had a garden of his own and has gotten very talented at sewing his own clothes. But overall, Mahiru was accepted throughout the town he was a part of.

 

Stepping through the door frame of his room, the teen quickly gathered his wallet and a couple other things then placing them in his bag and heading off, not bothering to change out of his kimono as always. Patting his shoulder, he stilled for a moment to let Sakuya climb his way up until he was firmly perched on that spot before he made his way out of the building and passed through the high red shrine gate and going down the long path of stone steps that were only lit up by the small bit of daylight there still was outside and the lanterns that were hung from low polls at the sides where stone met the grass and bushes of the Forest of Spirits. Although, about halfway through, Sakuya started growling at something-something beyond the path and seemingly hidden behind the cover of the surrounding tree’s intense shadows. The shrine keeper stopped, staring at what the fox was growling at when something in him told him to go towards it, while something else told him that something bad would happen if he did. On edge, Mahiru slowly turned away from the darkness and hastily continued his way to town. 

Taking the last few steps of the long staircase, the brunette finally passed through the last red arch and found himself on the familiar street that connects the town to the shrine he just crawled out from. The strange feeling he had disappeared and he let out a relieved breath as he trudged on to the market. 

 

In all his life, never did the hazel-eyed teen think that it would be this busy at night. It looked like the whole area was up and out. Sighing, he started squeezing through the crowd of people to get to certain stand that sold really good meats. Despite the fact that he doesn’t come out of the shrine’s property that often, he has a decent knowledge of where all of the good shops were at and how to get stuff at a good price too. 

Most of the folks that run the market booths where Mahiru has taken a liking to are the people who have been around for quite a long time. He and his Uncle were well respected among the elders of the town as all of the past shrine keepers had been recognized as a way of connecting with the praised gods beyond subtle sacrifices and small payers. In fact, to the villagers who are in any deep spiritual relationship consider Mahiru to be a completely holy being who was rumored to be under the protection of a mysterious God, though the brunette always says that Sakuya was the closest thing he had to the protection of a god. Oh, and people even referred to the fox as his familiar, well, once they understood that the teen gets really upset when they say he’s his  **_pet_ ** . For him, that’s very disrespectful and is the number 1 way to get on his nerves. 

The boy scurried past the crowd to reach a stand heavily decorated in all kinds of meat with one old man standing behind the counter. He smiled as he spotted the rushed teen and immediately turned to face him once he gave another customer's their shopping bag. 

 

“Finally forced to come out of the forest, huh, Shirota-kun?” The man chuckled, resting his forearm on the counter's surface. Mahiru smiled, “I have to. After all, you do a job that I could never have the will to do. And you do it quite well if I do say so myself.” The elder smiled and started reaching through the meat display and carefully pulled out certain items, “It’s always nice to hear that from you, son. So, I’m guessing you’ll want the regular?” He asked, already bagging up the air-sealed portions. “Of course.” “Then that’ll be 2,618 yen.” He said holding up the bags in front of him. The younger male pulled out the right amount of money and handed it to him in exchange for the food, gently swatting Sakuya’s paw away from it. Saying his farewells, he hurried along to one more stop before it got too dark and he’d have to go back home. He walked past at least 3 or 4 more shops before he came upon the shop he was looking for. Unfortunately, he also noticed the strong iron bars that blocked the view inside. He sighed, turning around to start heading home. Of course the one day he actually managed to go out to the fabric store, it was closed. Sakuya nudged his forehead into the human’s cheek. He chuckled, “Maybe next time.” Carrying on, the bag of groceries already making red imprints across his arm where the plastic handles meet his skin. The sound of his wooden geta’s hitting the rough concrete sidewalk completely drowned out by the continuous chatter of everyone passing by. Gradually, the sounds had drifted behind him and he found himself engulfed in silence once more as he turned to confront the staircase he had come down from minutes earlier. Mysterious chills climbed up the boy’s spine, remembering the strange and off-putting feeling he had felt while he looked into the shadowy abyss of the forest. He took in a shaky breath, taking the time to reposition Sakuya so that he was held securely in his arm before they descended up the long path yet again. He could hear his footsteps clearly now. They looked around cautiously, goosebumps already forming on the teen arms.

 

Why was he so paranoid? He didn’t know. 

 

Taking a few more steady breaths, he moved on wanting to get back home as soon as he could. He never likes being out alone at night. Soon enough, they reached the spot where his reason was wavering. It was as if a magnet was trying to pull him into the depths of the forest, despite his voice of reason, which lucky was enough to overpower the urge. He stopped, hearing Sakuya growl and snarl viciously at whatever was hiding in the dark. “Sakuya, what’s wrong-?!” Mahiru’s breath hitched as a nearby bush started to rattle and move. Fear flooded his body, seeping into every fiber of his being. The shaking continued, seeming to get more violent while Sakuya got ready to pounce what was about to show themselves. At this point, the teen had slowly started to go back up the stairs, still not a single clue for what the hell is behind there. Seconds passed by and right when Mahiru finally built up the willpower to turn around and get away from there, he was quietly interrupted by what sounded like...A child sobbing? Sakuya stopped growling and the latter whipped his head around, only to bear witness to a bruised and scratched up little girl emerging from the damp vegetation. Brown eyes widening, he ran over to the sickly looking child, dropping the bags he was carrying so he could have his hands available to help aid in the situation. Sakuya jumped out of Mahiru’s grasp while he checked to see if she was responsive in any way before placing a hand on her forehead; She was burning up. 

Without missing a beat, he grabbed the bags again, carefully sweeping the fragile girl into his arms. He beckoned Sakuya to follow him as he sprinted up the stairs as quickly as his legs would allow him to go with all of the new weight he was dealing with. Sakuya trotted behind them, his body low to the ground as he glared daggers at the things that the human he protected were almost oblivious to. 

 

Adrenaline pumped through Mahiru’s blood, passing through the safety of the shrine’s gate and slamming open every door that got in his way until he reached one of the few rooms he has prepared just in case something like this were to ever happen. Sitting the child up against the wall, he dumped the groceries on the floor and rushed to grab a bowl and fill it up with water. Taking a towel, the brunette dipped it in the water, cleaning up the blood from the scratches that marked up most of her tiny frame. 

Mahiru dashed through the hallways of his home. He had so far managed to clean her up, patch up her wounds and give her a fresh change of clothes. Now all that was left was to treat her growing fever. “Here. Please just stay awake a little longer for me, okay?” His voice trembled slightly. Her vision wavered, hesitant to sip the remedial medicine that the latter had put together but did so anyway. She struggled to answer the questions that the boy asked her just so she wouldn’t faint before he had fully taken care of her. Although no matter how many times she tried to form words, all that came out were choked sobs mixed with the steady stream of tears rolling down her face. All her body allowed her to do was a nod and shake of her head.

It hurt to move.

\---

At last, Mahiru had finished patching the poor girl up, having put the final piece of the bandage around her small hand. Relieved of most of the pain that had haunted her body an hour before, she had calmed down enough to where she stopped crying and could focus on the stranger who had taken care of her for the first time due to her vision almost blacking out on multiple occasions. The child didn’t know what exactly was happening before, only that someone had taken her and was somehow tending to her needs. The latter had already dressed her in fresh clothing when she could actually manage to pay attention to what he looked like. His soft amber eyes looking at her worriedly as she shifted her body, hissing from the pain. Mahiru gently lifted her up and laid her down on the soft futon sprawled out in the middle of the room. The child’s eyes were lidded, sleep slowly pulling her away from the real world that if not for Mahiru’s help, would have never returned to. He placed a new towel on her forehead that was damp with cool water. “...W...who are...you…?” She slurred, reaching one hand out to the teen’s face and cupping his cheek. He didn’t seem all that dangerous despite being a stranger. “My name is Shirota Mahiru. I brought you here and took care of all of your scratches and bruises. I’m truly sorry if I scared you by taking you here. How...are you feeling?” The brunette placed his hand over the back of her tiny one while speaking softly as to not startle her any further than he thought he already had. “I feel better now. Thank you, S-Shirota-kun…” She yawned, retracting her hand from Mahiru’s face and laid it back down to rest on her side. The latter smiled softly, taking a fluffy white blanket that he put beside the bed earlier on and covered her with it. Sleep tugged harder on her conciseness with every passing second. “I...I’m C-Coraline…” The child stated quietly, her breathing starting to even out.

“Goodnight, Coraline.” 

 

Mahiru turned off the lights, carefully sliding the wooden door shut as to not wake Choraline. He sighed  in relief, starting down the hallway before he remembered that in his adrenaline high he had never closed all of the doors he had carelessly thrown open. On top of that, he realized that Sakuya had never even entered the room he was in. 

 

Millions of thoughts sped past him as he rushed to the front of the shrine, growing more and more curious and worried as he saw that ever single door he had opened had already been closed. His pace got slower and more hesitant with each door he opened and shut until he stopping at the final sliding door. His hand trembled, sliding it open to see what happened to his little fox. 

 

He stared wide-eyed at the scene that played before him. 

 

There was...a man. His abnormally green hair swaying in the cold night’s breeze. Black blood dripped down the blade of the katana he held in his right hand and a landscape of monstrous bodies in front of him. Mahiru’s whole body quivered with shock and fear upon noticing the most distinct feature of this mysterious being that surely proved that they were not human…

 

He had...nine white fox tails with light green tips and each end…

 

Without thinking, one name slipped out of his mouth in a hushed whisper. The name of the one thing that he could never bring himself to see as monstrous…

 

“...Sakuya…?”

 

The male flinched, white ears that he had failed to notice a second before bending towards him as he turned around in disbelief, his crimson eye seeming to hold as much fear as his.

 

“...M-Mahiru…!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I know It has been about a year but I can't just flunk my classes, ok?  
> But, I am happy to say that I am back and I will be working on the next chapter soon!  
> Oh, and just to let you guys know, I had actually looked up the prices for the food that Mahiru bought in this chapter and don't worry, 2,618.33 in yen is only 23 US dollars so I was very careful not to just type out some random bullshit price lol.  
> But I hope to see you all when the next chapter comes out! ^^


	3. Its True Form

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, this chapter is so short ><  
> But this is like a start of the major info dump I am going to have to put in the next chapter ^^  
> See you next chapter~!

Silence swept through the tense atmosphere, accompanied by the cold night's breeze that made the tree branches above them rock with uncertainty, making it all the more harder to breathe. Fear was clouding in the eyes of the green-haired boy as he turned around, face frozen with fear and shock. Time stopped for Mahiru, a sharp pain growing on the back of his head as that boy’s somehow familiar voice repeated in his head over and over, hand-and-hand with the overwhelming  _ itch _ to go near him. Loosening his grip, the weapon slipped out of the supposedly non-human’s now shaking grasp, the sound of the metal hitting the concrete echoing through the open space, making the brunette subconsciously clutch his ears in slight pain, head still deep in thought. He felt dizzy, clutching onto the wooden door-frame with such force that his smooth knuckles turned white. 

 

Who is he? Why is he here? What the hell is going on!?

 

The teen's eyes went glassy, overwhelmed by his questioning thoughts. His hold on the wooden frame softened before letting go and letting his exhausted and overworked body fall to the ground, blacking out after the rush of adrenaline disappeared.

Something snapped in the other’s mind as an instinct-like feeling washed over him, unknowingly making his body move. He sprinted towards the smaller boy, sliding on his knees against the dirtied concrete before Mahiru’s resting body fell into his opened arms. His teeth clenched together as he fought back the sting of the scrapes made from the jagged material underneath his uncovered legs since his white kimono rode up while catching him. His breathing quickened, mouth opened just enough to make out sharp fang-like teeth for canines. He looked down at the boy’s soft, pale face. If the teen’s hair was to his shoulders, he thought randomly, it would be easy to mistake him for a girl. The corners of the male’s lips curved into a soft smile as he admired the shrine keeper’s natural beauty. 

But unfortunately, he wasn’t left with much time before he sniffed out a disgustingly familiar scent. The greenette’s fox ears laid flat against the sides of his head and a low growl emitted from the depths of his throat, turning towards the source of the wretched scent and snarling. Another demon clawed its way out of the ragged shrubs surrounding the courtyard-like area hissing and readying to pounce the human he had been targeting before noticing the fox-like male who had the human in the safety of their arms, hidden slightly by the draping fabric of his kimono sleeve. The hell-bent creature knew the other’s identity from first glance and smirked slyly. “I wonder…” He said in a rough and deep tone, perhaps an attempt to intimidate the other, “how much power I would obtain...if I destroy you, kitsune?” Its black orbs gazed upon the other, showing no fear towards the being. “How about we find out, huh?” His voice bounced with the need to spill blood while the pitch starting to change from high to low, making the fragile human in the kitsune's grasp toss and turn as the unsettling sound toyed with his once sound dreams. The fox scoffed at him, brows furrowing and mouth frowning in pure hatred, for the insane creature actually was foolish enough to challenge him for the soul of the one he had committed himself to protect. Of course, none of the low-life monsters would think twice if a shrine’s defense spell was somehow revoked because of some stronger demon who had enough magical ability. Of course, no one would know what the price to pay for that was until it after the act was done. The greenette reminded himself to sweep up the remaining ash from it after his current situation was done and gone. He steadily lifted himself up with the teen’s unconscious body sprawled out in his embrace. The bit of blood that leaked from the open scratches on his knees bled through the fabric that was covering it as it had before, staining it. 

“You have to have gone mad if you actually expect to win this fight. This is your only chance to flee. I’d do it if I wanted to stay alive.” The fox threatened, voice dripping with pure venom. Despite trying to hide it, the chill that slid down the demon’s spine was clearly visible. The protective aura around the fox was fierce and strong, his crimson eyes narrowed into slits while he stared down the inhuman creature. 

The demon flinched, cowarding back before the kitsune decides to end him right then and there. He paused, looking over his shoulder. “You best find a stronger spirit to bless this place. You know damn well that more of my kind will try to get their hands on that landgod your protecting. You might wanna consider a contract while you're at it, Lord Watanuki. Being a familiar suits you.” He snarked knowingly, making the nine-tail look away for a moment. “That’s not my name anymore…” He said sharply, not seeming fond of it in the slightest. The latter raised his brow, “Then what is it?” He asked, amused. Silence swept over the courtyard, uneasy tension flooding between them.  The demon turned around more to look him in the face, which…

He was...blushing?

“Wha-” 

“Sakuya…” The fox interrupted quickly, looking down at the sleeping light that was bundled up in his arms. He looked at him square in the eyes, his amusement going through the roof. 

“...He named you that, didn’t he?” 

The Kitsune nodded, looking back up to meet the demon’s gaze. “And I will protect him for as long as he lives, so don’t even think about hurting him, you got it?” The protective feeling crept back into Sakuya’s chest, burning with a fiery passion as he pulled Mahiru closer to his chest. The other scoffed, turning back around and proceeding to walk back into the dark depths of the forest. “Well, I would keep my guard up. Hope to see you again, Sakuya.” He said casually before disappearing into the shrubs of which he came, waving his hand lazily as if the fox had always been his friend. Sakuya sighed and turned around to face the door that his caretaker had flung open and walked inside, muttering in some words before closing the door behind him with his foot. He gazed down at the sleeping beauty in his arms. 

 

“I suppose...It’s about I stopped lying.” He sighed, quickly strutting through the maze of hallways. He looked sideways at the door that held Choraline and gave an apologetic grimace, immediately looking away and taking Mahiru back into his room.

Sakuya carefully lowered him onto the white sheets, tucking him in. The fox examined the boy one last time and pushed his soft unruly hair back, his fingers combing through the delicate strands. Blood rose to his cheeks, thinking over what he was going to do. It was going to happen one day, right? It was inevitable.

Sakuya’s breathing became uneven, closing the distance between his lips and Mahiru’s forehead.

He couldn’t do it now...Not now…

He jolted back, clutching the skin protecting his pounding heart and tried to calm himself down. 

The Fox mentally slapped himself for thinking of something that immature, shaking the pink tint from his face. 

 

“...Goodnight, Mahiru. I'll surely have a lot to explain tomorrow.” He mumbled, leaning his head on the side of the futon. He stared up at the ceiling in wait the long-awaited sandman to take him away.

 

“God, I'm so stupid.” Sakuya whispered, before falling asleep, his face resting in the palm of his human's hand. 

 

Tomorrow will have lots in store, no doubt. But for now, he'll settle down and worry about that later. It...won’t be that hard to explain.

 

_ Right? _

  
  



End file.
